cummings



A. CUMMINGS VOTING MACHINE Feb. 16, 1932.

4 Sheeta-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 6, 1928 INVENTOR, Alexandercummin s ATTORNEY.

Feb. 16, 1932. A. CUMMINGS VOTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR, Alexander Cummin s W I 34 I 52 l? (7?.15.

% ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE? VOTING MACHINE Application filed February 6, 1928. Serial No. 252,142.

My invention relates to voting machines and more particularly toa relatively small voting machine adapted for use in the usual election booth.

The voting machines now being used are so large and unwieldy that only one is common- 1y employed in each voting place, so that when several voters wish to vote at the same time, they are obliged to line up and each must await his turn. This causes more or less haste and confusion at times which leads to mistakes being made, on the part of the voters, and may result in showing returns which are not in accordance with the deliberate choice of the voters.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a voting machine of such proportions that two or more readily may be used at each voting place, one mounted in each booth, so

a; that more than one voter may be accommolated at a time when the conditions require it.

A further object is to provide a voting machine which displays the whole ballot, in the usual and familiar form, to the voter and :7. which enables him to indicate his choice of candidates and measures in the usual manner, namely, by employing a rubber stamp to make a mark opposite the name of each candidatefor whom he wishes to vote and-opposite each measure for which he wishes to vote.

A further object is to provide a voting machine of the character described which is operable by the voter to conceal his vote after it has been completed and, simultaneously, to

:il' put the machine in such a condition that an- H) any kind. I

A further object is to provide a voting machine of the character described which is comparatively simple in construction and low in cost and a machine from which the total vote recorded for each candidate and measure readily may be obtained, immediately after the polls have been closed.

'Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter and while I show herewith and willdescribe a preferred form of construction, I desire it to be understood that I do not confine my invention to such preferred form but that various changes and adaptations may be made therein without departside of the machine shown in Fig. 1. r Fig. 3 IS a view in elevation, similar to Fig. 2, showing the front cover plate removed and the outer manipulating mechanism exposed to view, said mechanism being here shown in its open or released position.

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the machine, turned end for end so as to show the rear side thereof, the rear cover plate being shown removed so as to disclose the chain driving mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the machine shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the section being taken approximately on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse sectional Few of the machine, taken on line 6-45 of ig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the front side of the machine, showing the outer mechanism in its closed or operated position.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the machine, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing the position and operation of one of the rollers, with a tally sheet attached thereto.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the machine, showing details of the roller mountings of the primary or driving roller.

Fig. 10 is a similar view of one of the secondary rollers.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged plan view of one of the name plates used in my machine, with a portion of a ballot pasted thereon.

Fig. 12 is a tally sheet and roller, corresponding to the name plate shown in Fig. 11, and designed to be associated therewith in the machine.

Fig. 13 is an-enlarged View in perspective of one of the stirrups used in my voting machine to hold the ends of the transverse supporting bars over which the tally sheet runs.

Fig. 14 is a similar view of one of the supporting bars held by the stirrups shown in Fig.13. i

Fig. 15 is an enlarged View of the fastener pin employed to hold clamping strips.

Considered more in'detail the drawings will be seen to show my voting machine as a rectangular box or casing 16, somewhat larger in plan than the usual 'pr1nted ballot and approximately six inches deep, having rigid end walls 17, side walls 18 and floor or bottom 19.

The end walls and bottom are extended beyond the side walls as at 17 and 19to form front and rear chambers 20 and 21, respectively,isaid chambers being completely enclosed by front and rear cover plates 22 and '23, respectively, the ends of which slide into grooves 24 formed by guide-plates 25 which are fastened to end-wall extensions 17'. The middle and main chamber 26 of the casing is covered with a series of ballot plates or name plates 27, each of which is somewhat longer 1 and wider than one of the columns into which the ballot is divided, the number of said name plates in the series being equal to the numberofsuch ballot columns composing the ballot.

Thecorners of, eachname plate are cut away, as shown in Fig. 11, so as to form re duced end extensions or lugs 28 which extend over side walls 18, the upper edge of which is notched as at 29 to receive them. Be-

taining plates30 are fastened to the upper I sition by bent pins 32 fixed in end walls 17 so as to be turnable therein, said binding strips 31 having endstra-ps 33 adapted to extend downwardly at each end of the casing "and said end straps having slots 34 through which pins 32 may project as shown in Fig. 15. An angular plate 35, with end lugs 36 adapted to extend under. binding strips 31, -covers right end wall 17 and is held thereon, when binding strips 31 are removed, by a loose pin 37 which extends vertically through a hole in'the middle of said plate into a coinciding hole in" the end wall. A transverse block 38, adapted to hold a counter 39, is fastened to wall'17 on the left end of the casing, said counter 39shaving a shaft 40 which prothe end straps of the jects from the front end ofblock'38 and which terminates in a crank 41 by which it may be operated.

A series of rollers 42, corresponding in number to the columns in the ballot, are mounted in the upper part of middle chamber 26, one under each of the several name plates 27. The left-end roller 42, which will be called the primary roller, is provided with a spring-controlled clutch-member 43 in its front end and a rigid clutclrmember 44 in its rear end, while each of the remaining rollers,'hereafter referred to as the secondary rollers, is provided with a cone-pointed and spring-comrolled pivot pin 45 in its front end and a rigid clutch-member 46 in its rear end. bearingplate 47, with tapered apertures 48 adapted to receive cone-pointed pivot pins 45, is attached to the outer side of the front wall 18 of the casing and a pair of similar bearing plates 49, nxed in parallel spaced relation to each other, is attached to the outer side of rear wall 18, said pairof bearing plates 49 being provided with aper- Ztures 5O suitable for holding stub shafts 51 in axial alignment with the rollers and with apertures48 in plate 47. The inner ends of run over them so as to cause them all to turn together when the one associated with the primary roller is turned. Idle pulleys 55 are placed between the sprocket wheels, wherever necessary to hold the chain in proper contact therewith, and an adjustable pulley 56 is fixed adjacent the return side of the chainto take up excessive slack.

A .stub driving-shaft 57 is mounted in a bracket 58 whichis attached to bearing plate 47 adjacent its left end, said shaft 57 being held in axial alignment with primary roller '42, with its inner end projecting through plate 47, and said inner end being equipped with a clutchpin59 which-is adapted to engage clutch member43 of roller 42. A ratch- -et wheel 60 is fixed on shaft 57 and a spring controlled retaining pawl 61 is mounted adjacent thereto. i A spring-controlled operating pawl 62 is pivotally attached to a relatively long arm 63 having one end pivoted on shaft 57, between bearing plate 47 and ratchet wheel 60, the free end 64 of arm 63 extending diagonally downward and to the right from shaft 57. Said free end 64 is offset from the pivoted end of arm 63 by a bend 65 adjacent the middle thereof'and is provided with a longitudinal slot 66. A helical spring 67 is attached to arm 63 and to a pin 68 in a mounting plate 69 which is fastened to the outer side of front wall 18 below bearing plate 47, said spring 67 being under sufiicient tenplates 49, and an endless sprocket chain 54 is sion to pull arm 63 downwardly with considerable force.

A lever 70, with its handle end projecting upwardly through a slot 71 in cover plate 22, is attached to mounting plate 69 by apivot pin 72 adjacent the offset end 64 of arm 63, said lever having a lower extension 73 beyond pivot 72, and a lateral arm 74 extending under said offset end 64. A pin 75 is fixed in arm 74 so that it projects through slot 66 and may move from end to end thereof as arm 63 is actuated to swing about shaft 57 downwardly into the position shown in Fig. 3 or upwardly into the position shown in Fig. 7. Two stop pins 76 are fixed in plate 69 in position to limit the movement of lever 70 by contact with lower extension 7 3thereof. Two ratachet teeth 77 are formed on the extreme lower end of extension 73 thus adapting it to engage similar but complementary ratchet teeth 78 cut in the upper edge ofa pivoted bar 79, the opposite end of which is equipped with a depressing plate 80 and a weight 81 which tends to hold bar 79 in such a position that ratchet teeth 78 will engage ratchet teeth 77.

A connecting tube 82 is fixed in the end wall 17 at the lower left hand corner of the casing, and a flexible air-tight bag 83, preferably av rubber one, is attached thereto so that it lies directly under depressing plate 80, asis clearly shown in Fig. 7. A retaining plate 84 is fixed on the edge of bottom extension 19' adjacent depressing plate 80 to hold bag 83in place. An air bulb 85 is connected to the outer end of tube 82 by a suitable length of rubber tubing 86.

A hell or spiral sounder 87, similar to those usedin clocks, is fixed to Wall 18 within front chamber 20, as shown in Fig. 3, and astriking bar 88, movable longitudinally in guide cleats 89, which are attached to mounting plate 69, is held therein so that one of its ends strikes the sounder and the other, which is equipped with a hook 88, extends toward lever 70, adjacent lower extension 73 thereof. A limited vertical movement of the hook end of bar 88 is permitted by the length of the guide cleat'and it is held in such spaced relation to mounting plate 69 that extension 73 of lever 70, which is provided with a catchpin adapted to engage the hook, can pass freely behind it. A helical spring 91, adapted to exert a sufficient pull on bar 88 toward sounder 87 to produce a suitable striking effect, is attached to said bar 88'and to mounting plate 69.

A connecting link 92, loosely held in contact with mounting plate 69 by a guide cleat 89, through which it is adapted to work, has one end connected to lower extension 73 of lever 70 by a pivot pin 93, on the rear side thereof, and the other to a pivot pin 94, which extends through a slot cut in mounting plate 69 and front wall 18, and projects into middle chamber 26 of the casing, as shown in Figs; 7, 3 and 5. The inner end of pivot pin 94s is fixed; in a connecting plate 96 which is attachedto one'end of a shifting-bar 97 which extends longitudinally of the casing justrocking plate to each roller. Angular floorplates 100, notched as at 101 to receive the loweredg ofthe rocking plates so as to hold them in place while permitting their upper edges to swing toward and away from the rollers, are fastened to the bottom 19 of the casing, two under each rocking plate, adjacent the ends thereof. The upper edges of the rocking plates are bent to form a rather wide fold 102 and slots 103 are cut in the fold in spaced relation to the ends thereof. Covering plates 104, coextensive in length with said rocking plates, are loosely attached to the upper edges thereof by lugs 105 formed on the covering plates, at right angles thereto,

which fit loosely in slots 103. The covering plates are thus securely held by the upper edges of the rocking plates in such a way that a certain amount of hinge-like action is permitted between the two. As shown in Figs. 5 and 8 the covering plates are arranged sothat each is adapted to cover the right side of the name plate 27 to which it belongs, while the left edge of the adjacent name plate extends over and partially covers it in turn.

That is, each, except the last one of the covering plates, works between the right and left edges of two adjacent name plates.

Metal stirrups 106, as shown in Fig. 13, are attached to the inner sides of walls 18, under the right side of each name plate 27, and 37 transverse supporting bars 107, as shown in Fig. 14, are laid therein, said bars 107 being thus held almost in contact with the under sides of the name plates adjacent their right edges. Pins 108 are fixed in shifting-bar 97, in pairs, at the end of each rocking plate 99, each pair being spaced apart sufficiently to admit the end of a rocking plate between them, so that when the shifting bar is moved longitudinally said pins 108 operate to rock ll all of the plates 99 simultaneously on their lower edges. This action shifts covering plates 104 so as to cause them to cover more or less, as the case may be, of the right side of the several name plates, the purpose of which presently will appear.

A slot is cut through the left end wall 17 of the casing adjacent the left end of shifting bar 97, and a pitman or connecting rod 109, extending therethrough, has one of its ends 'pivotally connected to said shifting bar 97,

theirremoval from the casing. A printed ballot, of theusual'form, is cut along the vertical lines dividing the columns thereof and V the resulting name strips 111 are pasted on the name plates 27 so as to leave a margin 112 on the right of each, as illustrated in 'Fig. 11. Apertures 113, ofasuitable size to admit the end of the usual rubber stamp, are then cut through the plates along margins 112, one opposite each name or measure to be voted for. A tally sheet 114, whichis wrapped on a core 115 adapted tolie-on thebottom of the casing under the roller,-is attached to each of the rollers by means of a retaining strip 116, fitting in a longitudinal groove 117 made in each rolleras shown in Fig. 8. "A second ballot is now cutinto similar namestrips 111 one of which ispasted on. each. of the several tally sheets, adjacent the end thereof which is attached to the roller, as shown in Fig. 12. The rollers and tally sheets are then placed in the casing as shown in Fig. 8, in

proper order from left to right, with each sheet running over a supporting bar 107. The name plates are now replaced in the same order, so that eachjis associated with a, roller having a corresponding-namestrip. Binding strips 31 arefinally replaced and the machine is in condition-for use,.lever 7 0 being set in the position shown in Figs. 5 and 7.

- When a voterenters the voting booth in which the machine is placed amember of the V elect-ion board, who may have control of only one orse'veral of the machines, presses airbulb 85 which expands air bag 83'so that it causes bar 7 9 to release lever 70 and. allows spring, 67, acting on arm 63 to pull itdownwardly intothe: position shown in Fig. 3, which action moves shifting bar 97' toward the right, because of its connection to lever 70 through link 92, and shifting bar 97, which in turn swings rocking plates 99, with covering plates 104 attached'to the upper edges thereof, to the right, thus exposing apertures 113 in margins 112 of the name plates. The

voter now may indicate his vote in the usual way, employing the usual rubber stamp through apertures 113 to mark the tally sheets whichlie on supporting bars 107' directly under said apertures 113, as shown in Fistion shown in Fig. 7,.which action causes pin 90 in extension 7 3 thereof to engage book 88' of strike bar 88 so as to pullthe latter away from sounder 87 and a little later to release hook 88 so that spring 91 actuatesbar 88 to strike sounder 87; Shifting bar 97 is siinultaneously actuated to swing rocking plates 99, and wit-h them covering plates 104, toward the leftso that thelatter cover apertures 113 and prevent another vote being marked until the machine is restored to its voting position, as previously described. Simultaneously pawl 62 operates on ratchet wheel to turn primary roller 42, and through it and sprocket wheels 53 and chain 54, all thesecondary rollers 42, so that tally sheets 114 are rolled, step by step as the voting proceeds,o1f of cores 115 onto said rollers 42 and 42'. Each such movement ofshifting bar 97 toward the left also operates counter 39., through the action of pitman 109 on crank 41, to register an additional vote, so that when the polls are closed the total number of votes cast is indicated by the counter and may be read off directly therefrom. The total vote for each name andmeasure readily maybe obtained from the several tally sheets by removing them, together with the rollers to which they are attached,from-the machine, layin them out as shown in Fig. 12, and adding the marks which appear opposite each.

The machines may be provided withlocks (not shown) whereby they may be locked up for transportation to an official counting place. I

It will be seen voting Inachine'is such that it readily may be'assembled or taken apart, so thatadjustments and repairs maybe made without diffithat the construction of my 100 culty. Not only may binding-strips 31be respectively, until clutch members 44 or 46 may be brought into alignment with stub shafts 51, whereupon the roller is allowed to spring back untilsaid clutch members 44 or 46 engage clutchpins 52, asshown inFigs. 9 and 10. It is evident that a similar but reversed order of operation must be employed to remove the rollers from the machine.

Having thus illustrated and described my invention, 1 claim: 9 r

A voting machine comprising a casing, a tally sheet wound in a roll-and resting freely in the bottom of the casing, a feed roller detachably mounted in the upper part of said casing to which feed roller one end of said tally sheet is connected to be wound thereon,

a name plate detachably mounted over the top of said casing and over said feed roller and provided with a row of openings extending transversely over said tally sheet, through which openings said tally sheet may be marked by the voters to vote for the various candidates whose names appear opposite said openings respectively, means, operated by each voter, after he has voted, for rotating said feed roller one unit to bring the tally sheet into position under said openings to receive the votes of the next voter, a shutter, means, operated by said feed roller rotating means, for swinging said shutter over said row of openings each time said feed roller is rotated one unit, means operated by the voter for locking said feed roller and said shutter each time said feed roller is rotated one unit and said shutter is swung over said openings, means for unlocking said feed roller and said shutter, operated by an election ofiicial, and means for restoring said feed roller rotating means and said shutter to their initial positions when said feed roller and said shutter are unlocked. 7

ALEXANDER CUMMINGS. 

